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Scherzer joins rare company with 15 wins

Scherzer joins rare company with 15 wins

7/27/13: Max Scherzer pitches six shutout innings, striking out seven while allowing just one hit and no walks to improve to 15-1

By Jason Beck and Bobby Nightengale
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MLB.com |

DETROIT -- Max Scherzer's win Saturday made him the fifth Major League pitcher since 1978 to go 15-1 to begin a season, according to research from Elias Sports Bureau. Three of those 15-1 marks have come in the past four years, with Scherzer following the footsteps of Jered Weaver from last year and Ubaldo Jimenez from 2010.

The others were both New York Yankees: Roger Clemens in 2001 and Ron Guidry in 1978.

Baltimore's Dave McNally, whose 15-0 mark Scherzer threatened to match before the Rangers beat him two weeks ago, stood 15-1 following his first loss in 1969. The same goes for Cleveland's Johnny Allen, who won his first 15 decisions in '37 before losing his final start of the year in Detroit.

Of that group, McNally is the only one to go 16-1, a mark Scherzer will have the chance to match when he makes his next scheduled start Saturday against the White Sox at Comerica Park.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. Bobby Nightengale is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.